The 244-member strong U.S. Olympics team is currently competing against other nations in PyeongChang, South Korea. Several of these athletes are current members of the United States armed forces, including two coaches and seven participants.
Let’s meet the service member on the U.S. Olympic team:
- Army National Guard Capt. Michael Bryan Kohn coaches the U.S. men’s bobsled team and is a former Olympic bobsled athlete himself. Kohn placed 12th in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and took the bronze medal at 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Army National Guard Sgt. Shauna Rohbock is a bobsled driving coach for the U.S. Olympic team. She was an Olympic competitor on the U.S. Women’s soccer team before dedicating her life to bobsled in 1999. In 2006, Rohbock took the silver medal for bobsled alongside Valerie Fleming.
- Army Sgt. Nick Cunningham is a member of the U.S. four-man bobsled team. He is competing this year as a driver. This is Cunningham’s third Winter Olympic Games.
- Army National Guard Sgt. Justin Olsen began his bobsledding career in 2007, making the World Cup team in his very first season. He joined the Army in 2011 after winning the gold medal as the pilot for the four-man U.S. bobsled team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This is his third Winter Olympics.
- Army Sgt. Emily Sweeney crashed out of the Pyeongchang Olympics luge competition last week, losing control of her sled midway through the final run of the race. Sweeney joined the Army is 2011. This was her first time competing in the Olympics.
- Army Sgt. Taylor Morris is in his ninth season competing in luge racing. He joined the Army in 2011 and this is his first Olympic Games.
- Army National Guard Sgt. Matthew Mortensen is an electrician who has served in the National Guard since 2010. He finished 14th at the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi and is currently ranked fifth in the world for doubles luge.
- Army Capt. Chris Fogt is a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program and current team member on the U.S. bobsled team. He took the bronze medal at Sochi in 2010. This is his third Olympic Games.
- Army Sgt. First Class Nate Weber is also a member of the U.S. bobsled team. He joined the Army in 2005 and this is his first Olympic appearance.
The 2018 Winter Olympic games are broadcast on NBC. The Games run through Feb. 25. For more information, visit https://www.pyeongchang2018.com.
Sources:
https://www.pyeongchang2018.com
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/45402/meet-the-service-members-on-the-2018-u-s-olympic-team/
https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/emily-sweeney-crashes-final-run-reportedly-says-she-fine
